2012 MERCEDES-BENZ G-Class center console

Differential locks
General information Differential locks improve the traction of the
vehicle.
G
WARNING
Never drive on firm road surfaces with
differential locks engaged. Never drive on
narrow bends
with front-axle differential locks
engaged. With differential locks engaged, the
vehicle's ability to steer is severely restricted
and the danger of accidents is therefore
higher.
Do not engage or disengage differential locks
while driving on a bend. The vehicle may
otherwise make a jerking movement. You
could thus lose control of the vehicle and
cause an accident.
If you select a differential lock, ABS, 4ETS,
ESP ®
and BAS will be deactivated.
Your vehicle is equipped with a differential
lock for:
R the transfer case: this controls the balance
between the front and rear axles.
R the rear axle: this controls the balance
between the wheels on the rear axle.
R the front axle: this controls the balance
between the wheels on the front axle.
! In order to avoid damage to the transfer
case, you must operate the vehicle on a
dynamometer (1-axle dynamometer) only
if:
R the axle not driven on is jacked up
or
R the corresponding propeller shaft is
disconnected
and
R the differential lock of the transfer case
is engaged.
Otherwise, the transfer case can be
damaged. Information about differentials and
differential locks When
the vehicle drives around a corner, the
wheels on

the outside of the bend must cover
a greater distance. Therefore, the wheels turn
more rapidly than on the inside. The
differential, a transmission in the drivetrain,
balances out the different rotational speeds
and therefore enables driving through bends.
The disadvantage of a differential is that more
power is transferred to the wheels that have
the least grip. Example: a wheel on a driven
axle stands on snow-covered ground and thus
has no traction. This wheel receives the
strongest driving power from the differential,
as the force progression takes the path of
least resistance. The opposite wheel on this
axle, however, which stands on firm ground
and could therefore allow propulsion,
receives no driving power. 4ETS eliminates
this disadvantage. It provides good
steerability by automatically braking the
spinning wheel. As a result, 4ETS directs
more driving power to the wheel standing on
firm ground, which is therefore able to
provide propulsion.
ESP® and 4ETS are traction systems that are
ideal for road driving and suitable for light off-
road driving. Off-road gear LOW likewise
improves off-road capabilities.
Moreover, the more difficult conditions in off-
road driving require further measures such as
locking one or several differentials. Your
vehicle is equipped with three differential
locks:
R a central differential lock for the transfer
case,
R a differential lock for the front axle and
R a differential lock for the rear axle.
Each differential lock can be engaged with the
respective switch on the center console.
When the central differential lock for the
transfer case is locked, the speed of the front
wheels is equal to that of the rear wheels.
When the differential for the rear axle is
locked, both rear wheels turn equally fast, 148
Off-road driving systems
Driving and parking

independent of their respective torques.
Keep
in
mind that by engaging the differential
locks, vehicle steerability is severely
restricted.
For your own safety, the safety of others and
to prevent damage to your vehicle, the
differential locks must not be activated on
paved roads. Keep in mind that when driving
on firm road surfaces, the function of the
differentials is necessary and therefore they
must never be locked on firm road surfaces.
The steerability of the vehicle would
otherwise be lost and steering would no
longer be possible. For this reason, the
differential locks must be engaged
exclusively during off-road driving, and only
when activating the other driving systems
(4ETS, ESP ®
and LOW range off-road gear) is
no longer sufficient.
Activating the differential lock General information
G
WARNING
Never drive on firm road surfaces with
differential locks engaged. Never drive on
narrow bends

with front-axle differential locks
engaged. With differential locks engaged, the
vehicle's ability to steer is severely restricted
and the danger of accidents is therefore
higher.
Do not engage or disengage differential locks
while driving on a bend. The vehicle may
otherwise make a jerking movement. You
could thus lose control of the vehicle and
cause an accident.
If you select a differential lock, ABS, 4ETS,
ESP ®
and BAS will be deactivated.
Activate the differential locks:
R off-road
R to deactivate ABS, 4ETS, ESP ®
and BAS
while off-road
R when fording
For further information on driving off-road,
see ( Y page 134). The switches are located on the center
console.
:
Function indicator lamps (red)
;
Differential lock for the front axle
=
Differential lock for the transfer case
?
Differential lock for the rear axle
A
Activation indicator lamps (yellow)
!
Only activate the differential locks when:
R you are driving at walking pace.
R the driven wheels are not spinning.
R you are

not driving on a firm road surface.
i You can only engage the differential locks
when the transfer case is in LOW range off-
road gear (Y page 145).
i You can activate the differential locks in
the following order =, ?, ;.
Differential lock for the transfer case
X To engage: switch the transfer case to off-
road gear LOW

(Y page 145).
X Press switch =.
The yellow activation indicator lamp under
switch = lights

up when the transfer case
is in off-road gear LOW.
The å warning lamp in the instrument
panel lights up.
The red function indicator lamp above
switch = lights up when the differential is
locked.
In the multifunction display you see the: Off-road driving systems
149
Driving and parking Z

R
if the
rear bench seat is not occupied, insert
the belt tongue on the outer seat belts into
the buckle of opposite seat belt :.
R secure the load with sufficiently strong and
wear-resistant tie down. pad sharp edges
for protection. Stowage areas
Stowage compartments
Important safety notes G
WARNING
To help avoid personal injury during a collision
or sudden maneuver, exercise care when
storing objects in the vehicle. Put luggage or
cargo in the cargo compartment if possible.
Do not pile luggage or cargo higher than the
seat backrests.
Keep compartment lids closed. This will help
to prevent stored objects from being thrown
about and injuring vehicle occupants during
R braking
R vehicle maneuvers
R an accident
Stowage compartments in the front Glove box
i
Depending on the vehicle's equipment,
you will find an AUX-IN jack or a Media
Interface installed

in the glove box. A Media
Interface is a universal interface for
portable audio equipment, e.g. for an iPod
®
or USB device (see the separate
Audio or

COMAND operating instructions). X
To open: pull handle :
and open glove box
flap ;.
X To close: fold glove box flap ; upwards
until it engages.
The glove box can only be locked and
unlocked using the mechanical key. 1
Glove box unlocked
2 Glove box locked
X To lock: insert the mechanical key
(Y page 61) into the lock and turn it 90°
clockwise to position 2.
X To unlock: insert the mechanical key
(Y page 61) into the lock and turn it 90°
counter-clockwise to position 1.
Stowage compartment/telephone
compartment under the armrest/in the
center console.
Under the armrest is a shallow stowage tray
(telephone compartment), under which is a
deeper stowage compartment. Stowage areas
189
Stowing and features Z

X
To open the stowage tray (telephone
compartment): press
button : and raise
the armrest.
X To open the stowage compartment:
press button ; and raise the armrest.
The stowage

tray is raised together with the
armrest.
X To open the stowage compartment in
the center console: slide cover = back
using the handle.
i The º(Y page 200) Roadside
Assistance call button and
E(Y page 201) MB Info call button are
located in

the stowage compartment under
the armrest.
Stowage compartments in the rear Stowage pockets
G
WARNING
Storage bags are intended for storing light-
weight items only.
Heavy objects, objects with sharp edges or
fragile objects may not be transported in the
storage bag. In an accident, during hard
braking, or

sudden maneuvers, they could be
thrown around inside the vehicle and cause
injury to vehicle occupants.
Storage bags cannot protect transported
goods in the event of an accident.
The stowage pockets are located on the rear
side of the front seats. Parcel nets
G
WARNING
Parcel nets are intended for storing light-
weight items only, such as road maps, mail,
etc.
Heavy objects, objects with sharp edges, or
fragile objects may not be transported in the
parcel nets. In an accident, during hard
braking, or

sudden maneuvers, they could be
thrown around inside the vehicle and cause
injury to vehicle occupants.
Parcel nets cannot protect transported goods
in the event of an accident.
The parcel nets are located in the front-
passenger footwell. Cargo compartment enlargement
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Always lock the seat backrest in its upright
position when the rear seat bench is
occupied, or

the extended cargo volume is not
in use.
Check for secure locking by pushing and
pulling on the seat backrest.
In an accident, during hard braking or sudden
maneuvers, loose items will be thrown around
inside the vehicle. This can cause injury to
vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a collision
or sudden maneuver, exercise care when
transporting cargo. G
WARNING
Failure to assure that the seat bench and seat
backrests are locked into place could result
in an increased chance of injury in an
accident.
Never place hands under seat or near any
moving parts while a seat is being adjusted. 190
Stowage areas
Stowing and features

Installing/removing the cargo
compartment cover
X
To remove: make sure that cargo
compartment cover ; is rolled up.
X Slide catches :
on the left-hand and right-
hand sides of cargo compartment
cover ; towards the center of the vehicle.
X Swing cargo compartment cover ; up

and
out.
X To install: slide catches : towards the
center of the vehicle.
X Insert cargo compartment cover ; into
the recesses in the side trim.
X Press the right and left sides of cargo
compartment cover ; downwards until
cargo compartment cover ; engages.
X Slide catches : in

the direction of the side
trim. Roof carrier
The roof is not suited for transporting loads.
Never use roof rails or other accessories
mounted on the roof. G
WARNING
Do not load items on the roof. It may cause
instability during some maneuvers which
could result in an accident. Features
Cup holders
Important safety notes G
WARNING
In order to help prevent spilling liquids on
vehicle occupants

and/or vehicle equipment,
only use containers that fit into the cup
holder. Use lids on open containers and do
not fill containers to a height where the
contents, especially hot liquids, could spill
during braking, vehicle maneuvers, or in an
accident. Liquids spilled on vehicle occupants
may cause serious personal injury. Liquids
spilled on vehicle equipment may cause
damage not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty.
When not in use, keep the cup holder closed.
An open cup holder may cause injury to you
or others when contacted during braking,
vehicle maneuvers, or in an accident.
Keep in mind that objects placed in the cup
holder may come loose during braking,
vehicle maneuvers, or in an accident and be
thrown around in the vehicle interior. Objects
thrown around in the vehicle interior may
cause an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
Cup holder on the center console X
Fold cup holder : all the way up. Features
193
Stowing and features Z

!
Make sure that the cup holder on the
center console is folded down before you
move the front-passenger seat forwards.
Cup holder on the armrest X
Insert cup holder : as shown with the
arrow into the fixture of carrier bar ;.
If you do not require the cup holder, it can be
stored in the glove box or in the stowage
compartment in the center console, for
example.
Cup holders in the rear compartment !
Ensure that you remove all containers
from the cup holder in the rear before
folding the seat backrest and the seat
cushion of the rear bench seat forwards. Sun visors
Overview of sun visors G
WARNING
Do not use the vanity mirror while driving.
Keep the vanity mirrors in the sun visors
closed while the vehicle is in motion.
Reflected glare
can endanger you and others. :
Sun visor
; Bracket
= Mirror cover
? Mirror light
Glare from the side X
Fold down sun visor :.
X Pull sun visor : from bracket ;.
X Swing sun visor : to the side.
Vanity mirror in the sun visor Mirror lights ? will only function if the sun
visor is clipped into bracket ;.
X
Fold down sun visor :.
X Fold up mirror cover =.
Mirror lights ? are switched on
automatically.194
Features
Stowing and features

Make sure any children traveling with you do
not injure themselves or start a fire with the
hot cigarette lighter.
! The 12 V socket in the cigarette lighter
can be used for accessories (up to a
maximum of 180 W), as long as they have
the standard socket type for cigarette
lighters. Note that the socket in the
cigarette lighter can be damaged when
connecting accessories, for example by
frequent insertion and removal or by
sockets that
do not fit correctly. A damaged
socket can cause the cigarette lighter to
stop working. X
Press cover
; and then release it.
The ashtray and cigarette lighter : fold
out.
X Press in cigarette lighter :.
Cigarette lighter : will pop out
automatically when the heating element is
red-hot. 12 V sockets
Points to observe before use !
If you are simultaneously using all three
sockets in the vehicle, make sure that you
do not exceed the maximum current draw
of 45 A. Otherwise, you will overload the
fuses.
The sockets

can be used for accessories with
a maximum power consumption of 180 W (15
A), e.g. lamps or chargers for mobile phones. If you use the sockets for long periods when
the engine is switched off, the battery may
discharge.
X
Turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the
ignition lock.
Socket in the front-passenger footwell X
Lift up the cover of the socket.
The
cigarette lighter socket can be also used
(Y page 195). This is the case even if the
SmartKey has

been removed from the ignition
lock.
Socket in the rear compartment The socket is located on the center console
in the rear compartment.
X
Lift up the cover of the socket.
Socket in the cargo compartment The socket is located in the cargo
compartment on the left-hand side, when
viewed in the direction of travel, next to the
rear door.196
Features
Stowing and features